All 12 Uses of
function
in
Gifted Hands
- Others developed hydrocephalus or were left with severe neurological damage and either died or were rendered physically nonfunctional.†
p. 136.9 *nonfunctional = the quality of not working or not operatingstandard prefix: The prefix "non-" in nonfunctional means not and reverses the meaning of functional. This is the same pattern you see in words like nonfat, nonfiction, and nonprofit.
- Surgeons had recorded so few cases of full functional recovery that most doctors wouldn't consider a hemispherectomy as viable.†
p. 145.1
- Although both have distinct functions, one side has the major responsibility for language and the other for artistic ability.†
p. 150.6
- In plasticity, functions once governed by a set of cells in the brain are taken over by another set of cells.†
p. 150.7
- If something happens to the already differentiated cells, these undefined cells still have the capacity to change and replace those that were destroyed and take over their function.†
p. 151.0
- By the time a child reaches the age of 10 to 12, most of those potential cells have already done what they are going to do, and they no longer have the ability to switch functions to another area of the brain.†
p. 151.2
- I theorized—and it turned out to be correct—that since her brain was being slowly destroyed from the age of 7, chances were that many of her functions had been transferred to other areas during the process.†
p. 151.5
- Although I continued to function, for the next several days I lived under a cloud of depression and pain.†
p. 155.5 *
- Her blood pressure gradually worsened, and she was losing what little function, purposeful movement, and response to stimuli she had.†
p. 167.7
- That means that he will be highly functional.†
p. 190.7
- From the time we started discussing it, we all tried to keep in mind that we wouldn't proceed with surgery unless we believed we had a good chance of separating the boys without damaging the neurological function of either baby.†
p. 196.8
- This deep degree of hypothermia brings metabolic functions to a near halt, and allowed us to stop the heart and blood flow for approximately an hour without causing brain damage.†
p. 198.5
Definitions:
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(1)
(function as in: Its main function is to...) purpose, job, or natural activity
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(2)
(function as in: can't function well without sleep) work or operate -- sometimes to work or operate normally or in a particular way
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(3)
(function as in: I'm attending a function tonight) a social event or ceremony -- especially one attended for work or out of a sense of duty
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(4)
(function as in: oxygen is a function of altitude) saying one results from another; or saying that the amount of one thing is dependent upon the value of another.If x is a function of y, then x results from y; or the amount of x can be calculated based on the amount of y.
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(5)
(function as in: Amazon's new search function) computer code that performs a specific task
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(6)
(function as in: a mathematical function) a formula or mathematical expression that describes a relationship between variables
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(7)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
For more specialized meanings in math and chemistry, see a comprehensive dictionary.